


Things are Better Now

by Saturnbear



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Esteban is adorable, F/M, Fluff, Gap Filler, Kinda?? It's as happy as something following the ending of Echo can be, M/M, Spoilers for a spy in the desert, Spoilers for episode 167 - Echo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23962003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saturnbear/pseuds/Saturnbear
Summary: Abby, Steve, and their family are left to do what they can for each other after Night Vale has been freed from the pilot.
Relationships: Carlos/Cecil Palmer, Steve Carlsberg/Abby Palmer
Comments: 12
Kudos: 30





	Things are Better Now

**Author's Note:**

> I had one question during the entire episode,, where the FUCK is Esteban through all this?? Here's some quick fanfiction to help fill that gap, love y'all!!

The rock garden once more felt lively, but it didn't raise citizens' spirits. Families clung to each other, masses of people shuffled out, desperate to leave. The fear everyone had for their life just moments before had settled, but not yet subsided.

Steve Carlsburg was the only one fighting against the crowd, back into the garden. On the edges of the space sat a family. Abby Palmer sat taking long breaths, young Esteban curled against her. Carlos had desperately asked Abby and Steve to shelter Esteban with them as he left to stay with Cecil at the station, and Abby had hastily accepted. Beside them sat Janice, clutching her jacket tighter around her shoulders, waiting for the adrenaline to ebb away. 

"Abby!" Steve called, jogging towards them, carrying a roughed up wheelchair. "I found it!" Abby gave a sigh of relief, beckoning Steve to join them against the slate rocks. Janice's eyes shot up, softening as she saw her chair, which had previously been tossed aside by the Passengers as she was thrown into the mass of captured citizens.

Steve sat beside them, setting the chair down cautiously and looking it over. Janice shifted to sit beside him, silently appreciative of his concern.

Abby looked down once more at Esteban, who had fallen worryingly silent since the family had been captured. He stirred slightly, and she froze. Eventually, he moved to sit up, and looked at her.

"Are things good now?" He asked. His voice reflected more confusion than Abby had expected. She ran her fingers through his hair and looked him in the eyes.

"Things are better now." She responded. The child looked across the garden, focusing on the two men standing beside each other on the staircase, speaking. He pointed at them.

"Is daddy okay?" He asked. Abby followed where he was pointing, similarly seeing Cecil and Carlos on the staircase, speaking. She had known they'd been captured, as every citizen had. Yet it still felt unreal to see them like this. Seeing her brother this vulnerable didn't sit right with her. She placed a hand on Esteban's back, rubbing her thumb against his shoulder.

"Yeah, daddy's going to be okay. Let's give him some time to get better." Abby said. Esteban leaned back against her. She held the boy close, trying to avoid letting the events of the day sink in. That can wait, she thought. As Janice sunk back into her wheelchair, Abby noticed her smile for the first time that day. A cold relief slowly washed over the garden. Things were better now.

**Author's Note:**

> Eyy thanks for reading!! If this episode killed you as much as it did me please comment, I think we're all recovering lmao


End file.
